Missouri grower acquires Canandaigua's J.E. Miller Nurseries

A Missouri-based retail and commercial grower of fruit and nut trees has acquired J.E. Miller Nurseries, a Canandaigua nursery.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

With the acquisition, Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co., which was founded in 1816 and credited for discovering both the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, will be the nation’s largest direct-to-consumer grower of fruit and nut trees, berry plants and other horticultural products, officials said.

"When my brother David passed away unexpectedly last spring, I knew it was time to retire,” said J. E. Miller Nurseries CEO John Miller.

Stark Bro’s CEO Cameron Brown touted benefits to consumers, not just products, but advice, supplies and a large online community of fellow growers.

“I’m so grateful to John for his trust and confidence, and we can’t wait to welcome their customers to our family and show them just how much they’re appreciated,” Brown said.

Over the coming weeks, both companies will finalize the logistics of the acquisition, integrating product lines and introducing customers to the newly expanded offerings.